Hegseth-linked pastor knocks Trump over AI Jesus image: ‘He has to do better’

A pastor linked to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized President Trump over an artificial intelligence (AI) image appearing to depict him as Jesus Christ, which the president said was an image of himself as a doctor healing people.

“I am glad he deleted it, and glad that he rejected the idea of portraying himself as Christ,” Pastor Doug Wilson said Monday, according to the Washington Examiner. “But this was not manufactured by the press — it hit pretty much everybody the same way, Left, Right, and in the middle.”

“It was a robe around his neck, not a stethoscope, and the cosmic figures in the sky were something else, and the woman with praying hands.” Wilson added. “Even with his explanation accepted, it was accidental blasphemy, not high blasphemy. He has to do better either way.”

Wilson’s Washington-based Christ Church is popular with Reformed Christians within the Trump administration, according to the Examiner. Hegseth invited Wilson to speak at the Pentagon in February.

On Monday, Trump said the AI image was actually an image depicting himself as a doctor healing people.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support,” Trump said to reporters.

“Only the fake news could come up with that one,” he continued. “I just heard about it, and I said how did they come up with that? It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better and I do make people better.” 

The image featured Trump in apparent religious dress with his hand on a sick man’s head. He is also surrounded by followers, an American flag, eagles and the Statue of Liberty.

The president posted the image on Sunday. It was taken down from Trump’s Truth Social account on Monday in the wake of backlash from some Trump supporters online.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

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